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Madame X - - UK Chart/General Promo Discussion


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34 minutes ago, Kurt420 said:

I agree! More performances would've helped perhaps.

However, I don't think Eurovision played a part....that is a very easy scapegoat though so I can see why so many are using it.

I think no hit song is a far bigger factor than Euro. If Euro had such a negative affect then the album wouldn't even be doing as well as it is. Madonna is a victim of circumstance in the UK it seems.....Bruce on Father's Day weekend + no hit single just wasn't enough to push MX over the edge

Could be true, she suffered the same fate with Rebel Heart, Sam Smith pipped her to number one because it was Mother's Day

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1 minute ago, karbatal said:

Kylie did a lot of promo in just one country. LOTS of performances everywhere. Madonna cannot do that because her market is too big. 

This. Kylie promoted her album, optimizing exposure and showcasing the music, she was everywhere and was promoted the correct way by BMG Rights Management. The UK public only got Eurovision with an awful version of LAP and a lacklustre non-single from this album. No one is going to be rushing to buy the album... Lots of lost opportunities, she should have performed on Graham Norton and did other shows. It's so sad she has terrible management.

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Just now, JWAD said:

This. Kylie promoted her album, optimizing exposure and showcasing the music, she was everywhere and was promoted the correct way by BMG Rights Management. The UK public only got Eurovision with an awful version of LAP and a lacklustre non-single from this album. No one is going to be rushing to buy the album... Lots of lost opportunities, she should have performed on Graham Norton and did other shows. It's so sad she has terrible management.

There's not "lost opportunities", in my opinion, if this is what Madonna wants to do. She was everywhere during Rebe Heart and it didn't help at all. She's VERY CLEVER and knows that nowadays it's all about music videos and teasing and hyping and in the very end she will sell the same and she will have rested and been with her family and all the videos will be beautiful backdrops for the tour. 

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Eurovision was weeks ago - no one would be looking at the album and thinking, "Gee, I'm going to give this one a miss because I clearly remember the song she performed a month ago on TV and everyone hated it!"  If Bruce had released his album next week, we would all be sitting here getting excited about the prospect of Madonna scoring yet another #1 album in the UK.  Universal and Sony should have given the world the chance to put both artists at #1 in consecutive weeks, rather than setting up a chart battle which could potentially see Madonna end up at #2 around the world behind someone who has been an albums artist (as opposed to an albums/singles artist) for the past 25 years. 

Bruce and Madonna appeal to vastly different demographics.  Both deserve to be #1 but only one of them will be labelled a failure if they debut at #2 (hint: it's not the one who hasn't had a hit single since 1997, when an underperforming single from 1995 was used in a massive movie and became a hit after it was re-released - it's the one who everybody loves to tear apart at every opportunity).  If the situation were reversed, they'd be praised for charting so highly at this stage of their career.

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3 minutes ago, Carta said:

Eurovision was weeks ago - no one would be looking at the album and thinking, "Gee, I'm going to give this one a miss because I clearly remember the song she performed a month ago on TV and everyone hated it!"  If Bruce had released his album next week, we would all be sitting here getting excited about the prospect of Madonna scoring yet another #1 album in the UK.  Universal and Sony should have given the world the chance to put both artists at #1 in consecutive weeks, rather than setting up a chart battle which could potentially see Madonna end up at #2 around the world behind someone who has been an albums artist (as opposed to an albums/singles artist) for the past 25 years. 

Bruce and Madonna appeal to vastly different demographics.  Both deserve to be #1 but only one of them will be labelled a failure if they debut at #2 (hint: it's not the one who hasn't had a hit single since 1997, when an underperforming single from 1995 was used in a massive movie and became a hit after it was re-released - it's the one who everybody loves to tear apart at every opportunity).  If the situation were reversed, they'd be praised for charting so highly at this stage of their career.

:clap:

Exactly! 

One thing we have to understand (myself included) when it comes to M is that everything is amplified. What's a hit for someone else, under the exact same circumstances wouldn't be a "hit" for her. It's frustrating but in the end shows just how relevant and powerful she is even at nearly 40 yrs into her career.

No doubt Madonna will be slaughtered by UK media for debuting at #2.....but if it had been Bruce, the narrative would be quite different.

Btw, I'm not suggesting in any way Bruce SHOULD be torn apart in any way.....I have nothing but respect for him and he's a legend but yeah, the way he and Madonna are treated couldn't be more like night and day.

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2 minutes ago, Kurt420 said:

:clap:

Exactly! 

One thing we have to understand (myself included) when it comes to M is that everything is amplified. What's a hit for someone else, under the exact same circumstances wouldn't be a "hit" for her. It's frustrating but in the end shows just how relevant and powerful she is even at nearly 40 yrs into her career.

No doubt Madonna will be slaughtered by UK media for debuting at #2.....but if it had been Bruce, the narrative would be quite different.

Btw, I'm not suggesting in any way Bruce SHOULD be torn apart in any way.....I have nothing but respect for him and he's a legend but yeah, the way he and Madonna are treated couldn't be more like night and day.

:clap:

Well said!  They both deserve to be successful.  I wonder whose album release date was announced first?  The UK press made a big deal of the fact that RH was Madonna's first studio album in over 20 years not to reach #1, so they'll be equally as vocal (if not more so) about this one.  The vitriol aimed at Madonna is sickening and grossly unfair.  Interscope/Universal don't promote Madonna's work.  Warners would have done more to put her out there and I very much doubt that they would have pitted her against Bruce, especially around Father's Day in the UK.

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Madame X is now BBC Radio 2's Album Of The Week so it'll get strong airplay on the station starting on the 22nd!

Album of the Week

 

Saturday 22nd June

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2qNJsnjYFvbLrK9CZ0CfYfM/radio-2-new-music-playlist

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10 minutes ago, Carta said:

:clap:

Well said!  They both deserve to be successful.  I wonder whose album release date was announced first?  The UK press made a big deal of the fact that RH was Madonna's first studio album in over 20 years not to reach #1, so they'll be equally as vocal (if not more so) about this one.  The vitriol aimed at Madonna is sickening and grossly unfair.  Interscope/Universal don't promote Madonna's work.  Warners would have done more to put her out there and I very much doubt that they would have pitted her against Bruce, especially around Father's Day in the UK.

Bruce announced his release date after Madonna. Sales for Madame X in the UK look good to me, compared to RH and considering the general decline since 2015. In another week it would have been no 1 but it's not always possible to select the optimal week. Last week there were Jonas Brothers in the US, next week something else.

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50 minutes ago, karbatal said:

Kylie did a lot of promo in just one country. LOTS of performances everywhere. Madonna cannot do that because her market is too big. 

Yes, it would be interesting to see what would happen if Madonna just plopped herself in one country outside US for a month and was relentless. Presumably, her best seller ever in that country. But of course, we wouldn't want to wish local act on her.

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2 hours ago, Dr Lecter said:

Maybe she should have done some performances somewhere 

Madonna had the biggest European stage ever. There was no need to do "some performances somewhere" if she had done things right out there. But...

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1 hour ago, Ugly Hecty said:

Madame X is now BBC Radio 2's Album Of The Week so it'll get strong airplay on the station starting on the 22nd!

Album of the Week

 

Saturday 22nd June

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2qNJsnjYFvbLrK9CZ0CfYfM/radio-2-new-music-playlist

That’s fab news. I’m glad the album will be exposed a little to the general public. 

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2 hours ago, karbatal said:

Kylie did a lot of promo in just one country. LOTS of performances everywhere. Madonna cannot do that because her market is too big. 

Kylie is local and on a record label catered to hasbeens of course she would get a #1 album in the UK.

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The ironic thing is the strongest reviews have generally been from the UK music press. Her problem is connecting with the public. The current "don't give a fuck what anyone thinks of me" probably doesn't sit well with the British general public. They want her to embrace them, not be stand off-ish and sassy.

Unlike Kylie her music struggles to connect to the Radio 2 audience, because sonically its more modern and dare i say it left-field. Radio 1 wont play her, and Radio 6 are too cool to admit they like her.

Eurovision was a huge mis-fire. The Graham Norton interview was awkward. As were all the other promo interviews i've seen. 

And to those saying she should have performed more - i dont see Bruce doing a ton of promo. Something just isnt connecting with the GP.

But the important thing is, we her fans love the record. That's what counts.

 

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1 hour ago, Crozzauk said:

The ironic thing is the strongest reviews have generally been from the UK music press. Her problem is connecting with the public. The current "don't give a fuck what anyone thinks of me" probably doesn't sit well with the British general public. They want her to embrace them, not be stand off-ish and sassy.

Unlike Kylie her music struggles to connect to the Radio 2 audience, because sonically its more modern and dare i say it left-field. Radio 1 wont play her, and Radio 6 are too cool to admit they like her.

Eurovision was a huge mis-fire. The Graham Norton interview was awkward. As were all the other promo interviews i've seen. 

And to those saying she should have performed more - i dont see Bruce doing a ton of promo. Something just isnt connecting with the GP.

But the important thing is, we her fans love the record. That's what counts.

 

Medellin was connecting very well but yes I do think it's her personality that's putting people off as well as Eurovision. Crave and future were just duds pretty much everywhere too. It started well and there was a buzz but that's fizzled. Hopefully radio 2 well help things! 

Bruce did nothing here for twenty years but has suddenly become cool. He's not threatening either. Just old school clichéd rock. 

Kylie was on radio 2 so often she may well have been employed by them. It was constant!

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Did RH or MDNA were albums of the week too? Hopefully it helps to stabilize the album a little like how Medellin was on iTunes the weeks it was playlisted.

As long as the album hits Silver which hopefully happens by September when the tour starts. 

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Are American charts announced fri same as uk ? If so I think we will or should be loud in celebrating that over any more hate from uk like is usual recently . I don’t recall any big deal about rebel heart not making it last time . I think at least this time we know In advance as I was absolutely shocked when I saw Sam Smith beat her the last time as his album was out a year already and returned to no.1 so for me that was more shocking . 

But maybe you are right maybe we should be bracing ourselves for Eurovision 3 with dickhead piers Morgan leading the abuse as per usual. I just hope billboard and her camp rejoice in the USA news which will hopefully overshadow the hate from England 

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Sometimes I just can't cope with some things... Last time, that damn random soundtrack in US, a 1 year old album by Sam Smith in UK and now, this country Springsteen album selling more than Madonna... It's like Rihanna coming back with an album after 3 years and Nick Astley is releasing a new album after 2 centuries and going #1. 🤦‍♂️

 

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3 hours ago, zephyralexxx said:

Sometimes I just can't cope with some things... Last time, that damn random soundtrack in US, a 1 year old album by Sam Smith in UK and now, this country Springsteen album selling more than Madonna... It's like Rihanna coming back with an album after 3 years and Nick Astley is releasing a new album after 2 centuries and going #1. 🤦‍♂️

 

Well Rick Astley sells more than Madonna in the UK too :chuckle:

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Eurovision and father's day, she's probably alienated GP with comments in the press over the past few years, over exposure (we get sick of people here every s often haha) lack of radio play and not coming across well in interviews and not releasing the right tracks post Medellin. A few potential factors. And she's still number 2. Well done! 

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Madonna is the one who talks about the current short attention span of the audience these days. So she should know better. Medellin is great but there were at least 5 other songs that would have been better lead singles. Then she gave 4 more of which there were still better leads. But then Eurovision. So what do you do? Do a little HMV thing or in that audience thing, perform and have it televised. The last song these people heard from MadameX after Medellin which you had to turn on R2 to hear, was future.

After that, they just have her chatting about Martha Graham 10 times to different outlets. How is that pushing album sales? 

Nobody knows how mad I am that Springsteen is selling almost double Madonna in the UK. He had a broadway show and its Springsteen for fathers day but I still smell sabotage because I am trying to understand. How many number one albums has he had in the UK? Does anyone know?

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18 hours ago, aeroco said:

Wednesday Update: Top 5 Albums
1 Bruce Springsteen - Western Stars (44,139) *
2 Madonna - Madame X (24,038) *
3 Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish (16,734)
4 Bastille - Doom Days (13,782) *
5 Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (7,383) *
 

Was Bruce a big seller in the UK in the past? I'm shocked at these numbers. Even with the bad Eurovision performance, this doesn't add up. I blame Interscope. Ever since she left Warner, her presence in Europe has suffered.

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16 hours ago, Kurt420 said:

Blaming Eurovision though....I must question, realistically, it's been a month since that happened......so even if she'd had a stellar performance that was praised, would anyone remember that now??

Just saying......a month in 2019 is like 2 yrs in 20th century time....lol

I think these would have been the numbers regardless. The UK clearly has a stick up their ass when it comes to M these days......that's no secret....and it was apparent LONG before Eurovision ever happened.

Furthermore, if it were THAT BAD....would she even be #2?? Shouldn't Bastille have whisked into that position being that they're "hotter" at the moment?

I don't understand why you're STILL not getting this.

If every UK poster tells you that Eurovision had a disastrous REAL WORLD (ie not just social media) effect on her reputation then maybe you should listen, no?

As far as Springsteen goes (and there couldn't be a more apt or telling chart battle than these two) he's been able to make the big bucks from his stage act while still maintaining his long term record deal and all the benefits that brings him. Madonna should have taken note and then maybe she wouldn't be floundering (and not just in the UK but all across Europe).

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I was just gonna post that @Kim, Eurovision was not some bad perfomance on a Televisied Award Show,
regardless of the shitty musical content, I do'nt think some people grasp the resonance
that show has in terms public perception. Her reputation was basically MURDERED that night.

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